Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes are a delicious twist on the classic sandwich, made with Italian bread topped with the best sloppy joe mixture and cheese. Then, they are baked in the oven until golden brown. Cut the bread into smaller pieces to serve as an appetizer. Or, keep the pieces in larger sections for a main course. Either way you cut it, literally, these are SO GOOD! Plus, these can also be made in an air fryer. You really can’t go wrong when serving a Sloppy Joe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Bread: While Italian bread is a popular choice for garlic bread sloppy joes, there are other options you could use as well. Try this recipe with a French baguette, ciabatta, sourdough, or any of your favorites. The garlic butter and toppings will add flavor to any bread you choose!
Garlic Butter: Unsalted butter is mixed with garlic salt and then spread over the halves of the bread. If you don’t have garlic salt on hand or simply want a milder flavor, just use plain butter.
Ground Beef: I prefer ground beef for the sloppy joe mixture. However, you could certainly try this recipe with ground turkey.
Sloppy Joe Mixture: The sloppy joe mixture is made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. It’s the same flavorful mixture I use in my Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes and Sloppy Joe Nachos, which should both be on your list of recipes to try if you love Sloppy Joes!
Topping: I used mozzarella cheese and sharp cheddar cheese for the topping. Of course, you could use all of one or the other. Or, try these with your favorite kind of cheese. Now that would be a tasty experiment!
Can I Make Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes Ahead Of Time?
Sure! Making the sloppy joe mixture ahead of time will save lots of time. And, in addition, making it in advance allows the flavors to meld together for a more developed taste! (I have always loved leftover sloppy joes.) Once you have the ground beef cooked with the other ingredients, let it cool down. Then, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When ready to assemble the garlic bread, heat up the mixture a little bit before topping the bread with it. Sprinkle on the cheese and bake.
How To Store Garlic Bread Sloppy Joes
Although best served fresh, you can always save the leftovers to enjoy the next day or two. Store the garlic bread sloppy joes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
Ingredients
Bread
- 1 loaf Italian bread
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
Sloppy Joe
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup yellow onion, chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- ¾ cup (180 g) ketchup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup water
Topping
- 1 cup (113 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar, shredded
- parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
1-Preheat oven to 350°F*. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2-Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise into two halves. Place both halves of the bread onto the lined baking sheet, cut side up.
3-In a small bowl, combine the butter and garlic salt. Spread the butter mixture over the cut sides of the bread. Set aside while you make the sloppy joe filling.
Sloppy Joe
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In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onions until the beef is no longer pink (8-10 minutes). Drain grease. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper, and water, mixing until combined.
Assembly
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Divide the sloppy joe mixture between both sides of the loaves and top with the mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
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Cut into pieces and serve with parsley for garnish.